bolton1

Well it has been a while since I posted an update and I have been reading a few of the updates here with mixed emotions, especially those that are around being too old to move !!

I feel sad when I read that for some, moving to NZ just doesn't turn out as people expected especially when it's not easy to get here, but that' s life and at least they gave it a try. I hope it doesn't dissuade those who are intending to make the move. Everyones' experience is different and reasons for moving could be a whole myriad of reasons.

We were in our early naughy forties when we arrived , with 2 teenage children, no dogs, cats or horses to worry about ( thank god!) . I won't go into all the detail as they are in previous posts, but everyone thought we were quite insane. Our thoughts were they were right !! but we viewed moving as an adventure and we had great friends , family and jobs so if all went wrong, we could always go back. We never looked at moving as getting away from everything , more of a moving towards something new.

We did not want to be sat in a chair saying .........we were gonna do that ..

The update on my updates is ......that we are still very much at home in NZ. Our children are settled here, will they stay forever , who knows. I dont encourage them to think about forever, they have been brought up to be open minded and see the world as their oyster, wherever that may be is up to them. There is still a lot of the world they haven't seen.They have made friends, we have made friends, we keep on meeting new people and have a good social life.

The simple things bring lots of pleasure and I am still amazed how beautiful NZ is, even when it is blowing a gale and pouring down !! All of our free time is spent doing things we enjoy and we haven't got bored with the beaches, walks, scenary . We can do the same route weekly and still notice different things. Last week around the Mount it was seals basking on the rocks.
I love the seasons and living out of the garden ( trust me I was a townie through and through ). I love Sunday's at the beach, having a walk, then breakfast in the sunshine ( most weekend). I love the quirky little markets and getting fresh produce and flowers that are tropical and lovely and cost about $25 for a huge arrangement that lasts up to 3 weeks.

Crikey i have just read back on the above paragraph and it sounds like I am about 90 - so to be clear .....Our life is sedate when we want it to be and when I dont.............. I organise a girly night !!!!


We keep looking forward and planning and get stuck into different things. I have new experiences and new opportunities that I would never have done in the U.K. I am a Certified Equine Assisted Therapy Practioner, working with horses and people , as part of my work , which is magical. I went to night school to learn Te Reo Maori which was a promise I made to my late dad, and graduated earlier this year, with pride.

We have built our home ( another dream we achieved ) , which is now for sale , so we can move to somewhere with a little more land and have some horses and chickens and a dog !! Our 16 year old will soon be driving so being a little out of town isn't such a big deal anymore.


We are looking forward to summer and all it brings. Fishing, boating , camping ( ohhh god !) and not so much other things, like an increase in traffic , tourists ( lol) and bugs ( urgghh)

We still put a lot of energy into keeping in touch with friends and family in the UK which is soooo important for us. This year is the first time we wont have anyone staying from the UK at Christmas but we will still have our 'adopted' family and last count we had 15 coming for dinner ( no stress though - they are all great cooks !!).

New Zealand has been very good to us and for us as a family. There has of course been downs as well as ups and it hasn't been easy at times, but thats life and s*** happens wherever you live . For us it is the people who have become friends who have helped and supported us at these times that has made it easier and we are forever grateful to those friends ( you know who you are ) who were fab.

We love it and are planning to stay until , well until, a new adventure.

p.s If anyone is wondering what happened to the Rusty Ferns , netball team , we didnt get signed up for the silver ferns & some of us are STILL playing, badly, but usually in disguise !!! I am always happy to get together for a game and now signed on for a team in the social league ( help me !!) and we need some extra players - let me know
And getting together is about due now girlies so look forward to catching up

e4ebs

! We've also been here 4.5 years and are mostly happy with life here. Yes we've been through ups and downs but I still appreciate the beauty of NZ and we have more of a life together as a family here than we did in the UK. We are also planning to stay a while but open to a new adventure at some point in the future .

Pom_Chch

Well done bolton1, crackin' effort! Love reading posts like this. What a great thing going to night school and learning Te Reo Maori, good on ya! Reading your paragraph on summer has lifted my mood, bring it on

pippalonghorn

What a lovely post. I was smiling all of the way through. Im so pleased that things have worked out for you.

It is a shame when life doesnt go to plan but I love reading about the ones that do work out in the end. Good luck with your future whatever it may hold.

BEVS

Tiz a happy update isn't it and I agree, it is lovely to read when someone is or has settled well.

Trinamch

Yay! Nice to hear someone who is happily settled (for now at least!)

bolton1

Thank you for your lovely comments - Always been a glass half full kinda person - it's what got us here as well - I will update in about another year - too busy enjoying my little self to write too regularly

BEVS

Aye. I get that and fair play to you and yours.

TBF though to those less well settled, this glass half and half thing - well, that all depends really on oh so many things in a life.

Your cards have fallen into place for you & I think that is wonderful.

For those whose cards do not do that, does not mean a glass half empty. It simply means it does not work. By that I mean financial or from a partner not wishing to stay or from feeling a lack of connection or a real pull to family in the country of origin and all those types of things.

Can you tell, the glass half and half judgement doesn't sit well with me.

It isn't always about the glass half full or empty. It is far more complicated than that.

By the way. It was chancing the arm that got us here. We realised we could so we did.

bolton1

Of course , no criticism of those less settled meant and everyones situation is different , I hope that for those who aren't happy here that they are able to settle and be happy somewhere. I wish them well in their next steps and count my own blessings often. I still like a half full glass though , especially whe its got cold sav in it